The family of a slain 21-year-old has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the ridesharing company, Uber.  In the claim, the family accuses the Uber driver of negligently leaving the area where their son exited the vehicle.  On the early morning of May 21, 2023, 21-year-old Cory Hunter was one of five passengers in the car.  He had fallen asleep during the trip, however, around 2:30 am he was asked to leave the vehicle to allow another passenger to vomit outside.  Unfortunately, Hunter never hopped back into the car. 

Around 3:00 am, while walking in the fast lane on Route 91, about 40 miles southeast of Los Angeles, he was hit and killed by a traveling Toyota Corolla.  The individual driving the Toyota Corolla remained at the scene of the accident and was not investigated for a crime.  Although the accident was deemed unintentional, the preceding decisions made by the Uber driver have been scrutinized.  Hunter’s family alleges that after Hunter left the vehicle to make room for another passenger to throw up, the driver sped away from the scene and apparently did not ensure or consider Hunter’s safe return.  According to the lawsuit, Hunter was disoriented and unknowingly placed in a dangerous situation.  

After learning of the lawsuit against the ridesharing company, legal counsel for the Uber driver has emphasized sympathy and assurance that he had returned to the area where Hunter left the vehicle but was unable to locate him.  The driver is described as a man who loves his family and community and did everything possible to find Hunter on the night of the incident.  Despite this sentiment, it is evident that mistakes were made on the early morning of May 21.  Due to the accused failure to exercise a reasonable level of care for an Uber passenger, Hunter’s family is seeking over $25,000 in compensatory damages.